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utilitarian

[ yoo-til-i-tair-ee-uhn ]
/ yuˌtɪl ɪˈtɛər i ən /
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See synonyms for utilitarian on Thesaurus.com
adjective
pertaining to or consisting in utility.
having regard to utility or usefulness rather than beauty, ornamentation, etc.
of, relating to, or adhering to the doctrine of utilitarianism.
noun
an adherent of utilitarianism.
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Origin of utilitarian

First recorded in 1775–85; utilit(y) + -arian

OTHER WORDS FROM utilitarian

an·ti·u·til·i·tar·i·an, adjective, nounnon·u·til·i·tar·i·an, adjective, nounun·u·til·i·tar·i·an, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Words related to utilitarian

functional, sensible, pragmatic, commonsensical, down-to-earth, effective, efficient, hard, hardheaded, matter-of-fact, nuts and bolts, pragmatical, realistic, serviceable, unidealistic, unromantic, useful

How to use utilitarian in a sentence

  • And he's been reading a lot of rot about dogs being non-utilitarian, too.

    Lad: A Dog|Albert Payson Terhune

British Dictionary definitions for utilitarian

utilitarian
/ (juːˌtɪlɪˈtɛərɪən) /
adjective
of or relating to utilitarianism
designed for use rather than beauty
noun
a person who believes in utilitarianism
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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